


Friends | Klance Middle School AU

by xX_devil_b0y_666_Xx



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adorable, Allura - Freeform, BoyxBoy, Coran - Freeform, Cute, Fluff, JiM - Freeform, Laith, M/M, Matt - Freeform, Middle School, Moriarty - Freeform, Pidge - Freeform, SEBASTIAN - Freeform, Shiro - Freeform, Voltron, bxb - Freeform, hunk - Freeform, keith - Freeform, klaith, klance, lance - Freeform, soft, vld
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-04-05 05:52:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 12,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14037576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xX_devil_b0y_666_Xx/pseuds/xX_devil_b0y_666_Xx
Summary: Lance was an average kid with average friends and an average life.  Things were going pretty average for him.Keith was the little brother of a famous vlogger who just wanted to be happy, but everyone expected him to be just like his brother.Things changed when Keith transferred to Garrison Boarding School.  A friendship blossomed, and the two were nearly inseparable.But a small crush (or two) has the potential to get in the way.Ages:13: Pidge, Keith, Lance, Hunk, Shay14: Rolo, Sebastian, Jim15: Shiro, Allura, Matt, CoranYes, Jim Moriarty and Sebastian Moran are in this book.  I'm not good at coming up with OC's, okay?





	1. DISCLAIMER!!!

I do not own Voltron.  I do not work with DreamWorks.  None of the characters belong to me.  
Topics that you should be aware of before reading:                                                                    
Bullying, self harm, My Chemical Romance, the words heck and frick.  
There will be NO smut in this story.  Just fluff.

Also, if you don't like LGBT+, maybe you shouldn't read a klance fanfic.  Klance is a gay ship, after all.


	2. character info

so heres physical characteristics 2 help with this fic.  I'm very late on publishing this, srry  
Keith:  basically looks like a 13 yr old version of canon.  a little shorter than canon and 3 inches shorter than boyfriend  
Lance:  13 yr old version.  little shorter than canon, 3 inches taller than boyfriend  
Pidge:  basically looks the same.  take away two years, an inch taller than keef and 2 inch short than lance 3 inch short than allura cos dang is she tall  
Shiro:  black hair, no white.  no muscle.  not super buff.  kinda looks like mix of attractive and geek (not saying geeks cant be attractive. a lot of them are) and is like 3 inch shorter than matt.  is 15 but looks 14 and is same height as lance  
Matt:  not many muscle.  few muscle.  like, 3 muscle.  not so buff.  clothes mix: sporty geek.  hes little taller than shiro  
Allura:  1 inch taller den shiro.  brown hair and usually wears cute pastel clothes like flats and dresses.  3 inch taller den pigeon  
Rolo:  basically a human 14 yr old version of rolo but only 6 inch taller den matty-boi.  has lighter brown hair than allura and dresses like a stereotypical white boi (did you mean: "aye bruh check out my soundcloud" starter pack)  
Jim:  look up 'jim moriarty sherlock' and think of him as 14 yrs and same height as lance.  
Sebastian:  idk man, 14 yr old Jensen ackles???  same height as jim.  idk.  any guy u find attractive.  could be Donald friggn trump but idk why someone would find an racist orange hairy sweet potato like him to be attractive.  just saying.  
Coran:  looks like younger coran but no moustache and barely muscles.  same height as allura


	3. The New Kid

LANCE'S POINT OF VIEW  
"You seriously want me to do this?" I asked Katie (whom everyone called Pidge).  
"Yep.  I'm sure."  
"Okay..." I pressed the record button just as she started Naruto running down the (kind of)empty hall.  I swear, she's a frickin' weeb.  But hey, she was my best friend (besides Tsuyoshi, whom everyone called Hunk).  
Unfortunately, her head was ducked low, so she didn't see the kid she ran into.  
I had never seen him before.  
"Oh my God, I'm sorry!  Are you okay?" she stammered.  I snuck a quick glance at the new kid.  The way his freckles dusted his face kind of reminded me of constellations, and I couldn't tell if his eyes were blue or gray.  I liked his jacket, though.  (It was white and had "|-/" on it)  
"Yeah... I... I'm okay.  Were you Naruto running?"  The color drained from Pidge's face, and she nodded her head.  "Oh.  Cool."  We all just sort of stood there.  The silence was annoying as hell.  
"That's a cool jacket," I said in an effort to break the silence.  Wait, maybe I ahould've said Hi, first.  Who starts a conversation by saying cool jacket?  Definitely nobody in their right mind.  Thoughts started to flood through my mind.  Maybe he'd overlook it?  Or maybe he'd never wanna be friends with me?  God, I wanna be his friend, because he seems like a cool guy, but maybe he's too cool for me.  Frick, I messed up.  
"Thanks.  Uh, my name's Keith...  Keith Kogane..." he mumbled.  
"The name's Lance.  Lance McClain.  And that's a cool jacket."  I wanted to punch myself.  Dammit, Lance.  You, sir, are a butthead.  You, sir, have no social skills.  I looked down and closed my eyes.  I expected him to say something snarky, but instead I heard a soft giggle.  
"Uh, thanks... again?"

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW  
"I can get there by myself, Takashi!"  I only called Shiro, my brother, by his real name, when he was being particularly annoying.  And this was one of those times.  
"Okay, fine.  But text me if you get lost, okay?"  
"Yeah..." I mumbled.  He ruffled my hair.  
"Cheer up, okay?"  I didn't really understand why we had to move here.  The last thing I wanted was for everything to change.  Even worse, I'd have to put up with a guy who I don't even know.  What if he was rude?  Obnoxious?  Nosy?  
"Okay..."  I flashed a smile, a fake one, but nonetheless, a smile.  I had already memorized the room number, which hallway it was in, and what floor it was on.  Floor two, room eleven, hallway B.  221B.  It reminded me of a show my cousin Yuna was watching when we went to visit her.  I kept on walking.  Until...  
BAM!  
A blonde girl with round glasses, short hair, and a green pullover Naruto-ran right into me, knocking my books right out of my hands.  Seconds later, a blue eyed boy with dark hair and slightly tanned skin ran over to us.  
"Oh my God, I'm sorry!  Are you okay?" she stammered.  
"Yeah... I... I'm okay.  Were you Naruto running?"  The color drained from her face as she slowly nodded her head.  I guess she thought I was gonna make fun of her or something?  
"Oh, cool."  I noticed the boy, who also happened to be wearing a blue and white T-shirt looking at us.  The silence in the hall was deafening.  I looked down.  Then, I heard him speak.  
"That's a cool jacket."  I looked back up at him.  I didn't really know what to say.  Maybe he doesn't know what |-/ means.  Or maybe he actually likes Twenty One Pilots?  
"Thanks.  Uh, my name's Keith...  Keith Kogane..."   
"The name's Lance.  Lance McClain.  And that's a cool jacket."  I couldn't help but giggle, because that was funny.  
"Uh, thanks... again?"    
WELL, I KNOW THAT WAS A SHORT CHAPTER.  SORRY.  I'LL TRY AND UPDATE AT LEAST EVERY WEEK.  DO YOU LIKE IT SO FAR?  PLEASE VOTE (OR DON'T, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT TO DO).  HAVE A GOOD DAY, DON'T DO DRUGS, STAY IN SCHOOL, AND STAY ALIVE.


	4. Board Mates

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW  
We got to know each other a little before he went to the cafeteria for breakfast.  He did like Twenty One Pilots, as it turned out.  There was some comfort in knowing he was kind of socially awkward, like me.  I would have gone with him, but I wasn't hungry.  I still could have gone, but I wasn't up for socializing.  So I went to room 11.  The door had a small sign that read K. K. and L. M.  I guess my roommate was L. M.  Whoever L. M. was, I just hoped he wasn't a complete dick.    
I started hanging up posters on my side of the room.  I looked over at L. M.'s side.  He had a calendar on the wall, along with a few polaroid pictures of cats and people who I guessed to be his family members.  They all had a blue-ish filter on them, which kinda looked cool.  On his bed were blankets and pillows (obviously) which were white and blue, a laptop, and a blue 3DS.  
Huh, I'm living with a gamer.  I wonder if he likes the same games I do?  
I tossed a red blanket from my suitcase onto the bed, took out my phone, and started to play Happy Wheels.  I played for a while.  Then, the guy who I was supposed to spend all year with walked in.  
"Hey.  Name's Lance," he said without looking at me.  Wait, what?  I looked over at him.  
Oh my God.

LANCE'S POINT OF VIEW  
I felt a pair of eyes glued to me.  I turned to look at my roommate.  His eyes were wide with surprise, and I felt mine widen too, along with my smile.  
"Heyyy, it's you!" I exclaimed, making the "double guns" at him.  He cocked his head to the side, kinda like the way a puppy would, flashing a nervous smile.  
"And... it's you," he mumbled.  He was shy, but I didn't mind at all.  I turned one of the "guns" into a fist and relaxed the other one.  
"Fist bump!"  
"Wha?  Oh, okay..."  His fist lightly bumped against mine, and I made a fake explosion noise.  My eyes flashed to the posters on his side of the room.  Most were of movies, some were bands and video games.  
"Cool posters!"  
"Ah... thanks.  Um, I... I couldn't help but notice those photos on your wall.  Did you take those?"  he asked, pointing to the wall behind me.  
"No.  My older sister Veronica took them.  She gave me her camera before she left for college, though, so I could definitely take more... um... am I talking too much?  I feel like I'm talking too much..."  I didn't want him to think I was annoying, and I doubted someone as cool as him would wanna be friends with a blabbermouth.  
"Um... to be honest... I... I don't mind," he said with a smile.  I bet if we were in a dark room, like, a really dark room, that smile could brighten it up.  That's how cool he is.  But, I don't think that could apply to silence.


	5. Gaming Battles

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW  
"Wanna see who can get a higher score in Happy Wheels?" Lance asked.  
"Uh, sure!"  We both whipped out our laptops.  "BMX Park 2?"  
"Hells to the yeah!"  We both started playing.  Lance finished after I did.  So, that meant I got a better score.  "Hey."  
"Huh?"  I turned to face him.  
"Good job!"  He held out his fist.  I lightly bumped it with mine and made a fake explosion noise.  "Copycat!" He giggled.  I liked it when he laughed.  It was kind of... um... definitely NOT cute.  Did I seriously just think that!?  
I closed my laptop and looked down at the red cat sticker on it.  
"Um... thanks."  
THIS WAS JUST ANOTHER FILLER CHAPTER.  ACTUALLY, IT'S SO SHORT IT COULD BE A ONE SHOT.  NOT KIDDING.  IT WAS 114 WORDS.


	6. The Legend And Expectations

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW  
Over the course of a few weeks, I had learned more about Lance, like the fact that he really loved the color blue.  I had also gotten to know Pidge and Hunk.  Pidge was a technophile and an otaku, and Hunk was basically a nicer version of Gordon Ramsay.  Lance got my number and added me to the group chat, which consisted of memes and pictures of the stuff Hunk was cooking.  This coming weekend I was to go to Hunk's room and try his dishes.  
We had known each other for a few weeks, now, but I was still unsure of whether he considered me as a friend, or if he was just being nice.  
"So, like... are we friends now?  Or am I just someone in your group chat?" I asked Lance.  I mean, some random guy wouldn't just add you to his group chat for no reason, right?  
"Oh, we're friends!  Well, I mean, if that's okay with you.  Uh, is it okay?"  
"Yeah!  Um... fist bump?"  I raised my fist.  He bumped his fist against mine and made an explosion noise.  I couldn't help but smile.  I was glad to have somebody treat me like I was worth talking to.  I was glad that he, Pidge, and Hunk weren't rude dicks.   
"CODE RED!  CODE RED!  THIS IS NOT A DRILL!  I REPEAT!  THIS IS NOT A QUIZNAKING DRILL!" Pidge screamed when she barged into our dorm.  
"What?  What's happening?"  I was very confused.  
"SHE'S SAYING THAT THERE IS A LEGEND ON FLOOR THREE, YOU GUYS!" Hunk screeched.  
"OHMAHGOD!  THE LEGEND!?!?" Lance yelled loud enough to reach China.  
"YES!  COME ON!"  Pidge was breathing heavily with excitement, and she then proceeded to grab my arm and drag me out of the room (which hurt a lot)!  
"H-hey, let go!  I'm coming, geez!"  She let go and raised an eyebrow suspiciously.  Oh no.  
Please, please don't say anything...  
But she slowly turned around and kept walking.  I ran after her, Hunk, and Lance until we got to the third floor boy's bathroom.  
"He's gonna come out any second now!" Hunk whispered excitedly.  I was more confused than a lesbian watching straight girls gush over Jacob Sartorius and the Paul brothers.  A few seconds later, "The Legend" walked out.  
Oh my God, no...  
Of course, the one guy they all worship is the guy I've been trying to avoid, Shiro.  
LANCE'S POINT OF VIEW  
Some of the color drained from his face.  He looked down at the floor.  
"I'm going back to the dorm... bye..." Keith mumbled, turning to walk away.  I looked at Pidge and Hunk.  
"Um, I'll be right back."  
"Okay," Pidge said.  Then, her voice hushed down to a whisper.  "We'll get his autograph for you."  
"Thanks."  I gave her the thumbs up as I ran after Keith.  As soon as I got to our dorm, I knocked on the door.  I wanted to make sure it was okay to come in.  
"Go away.  Please," he said.  
"Keith, it's me, Lance.  Can I come in, please?"    
"Fine."  I heard footsteps, then he opened the door.  "What do you want?"  
"Um... what happened back there?  Is everything okay?" I asked, sitting in the chair next to my bed.  He sighed as a small tear rolled down his cheek.  
"He... he's my brother."  He paused.  "And I don't like people knowing that... because then..."  Another sigh.  "...then, when they do, they... well, they expect me to be just like him.  And I hate it."  Holy crap, he's his brother!?  
"Oh.  Yeah... I guess that does suck..."  
"Y-yeah...  and they're always... t-they're always like... 'Keith, why aren't y-you more like Shiro?'  And I'm s-sick and tired of it...  A-and he's always expecting me t-to be happy all the time..."  More tears streamed down as he tried to hold them back.  I moved next to him and pulled him into a tight hug.  He buried his face in my chest, and hugged me back.  He was shivering.  
"I'm sorry..." he sobbed.  I slowly pushed him away and put my hands on his cheeks.  A soft red shade spread across them, making his freckles and his eyes stand out even more.    
Wait, why am I paying attention to that?  
"Please don't apologize, okay?  I..."  I paused.  I couldn't say he was perfect, that would sound weird coming from me.  "I think you're cool just the way you are."  And then I pulled him into another hug.  We stayed like that for a few minutes before I pulled away again.  
"Um... we should probably be getting back..." he mumbled.  
"Wha?  Oh, okay."  I had forgotten that Pidge and Hunk were waiting for us.  When we went back, Shiro was already gone, and Keith looked a little happier, at least.    
I'LL TRY MY BEST TO MAKE THE CHAPTERS LONGER.  EMPHASIS ON TRY XD.  IF YOU LIKE THIS FANFIC, PLEASE VOTE (OR DON'T.  I'M NOT YOUR PARENT/GUARDIAN).  BUT YA IF YOU'RE READING THIS, THANK YOU FOR READING THIS.  IT MEANS A LOT.


	7. Hunk's Cooking

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW  
Hunk was the only exception to the 'no students in the kitchen' rule.  So basically, if he wanted, he could have a career here, but that would be illegal because he's only thirteen.  
"So, I have baked some aggressive pizza, croissants, and potato knishes," Hunk declared proudly.  
"Wait, those are all memes!  How in the name of God did you make an aggressive pizza?"  
"He put some spicy homemade spices on it."  Pidge was with us, too.  
"How spicy do they have to be to be considered spicy?"  
"Spicier than Lance's tragic backstory."  Then she busted out laughing at her own joke.  Neither if us (me and Hunk) thought it was that funny.  We weren't offended, we just didn't laugh.  
AN HOUR LATER  
"Okay, it's all ready!" Hunk exclaimed as he walked in with three plates of food.  They all looked delicious (especially the pizza).  Even Pidge was salivating.  
"Can I have some, too?"  
"Sure!  Whatever Keith doesn't eat!"  
"Oh, I'll share it with her!  God knows I won't eat it all," I said as I took a slice of pizza and put it on my plate.  Pidge's was loaded with croissants.  Hunk held a bowl of potato knishes.  
We all finished eating, and Hunk and Pidge had taken off their jackets.  Then, Pidge looked at me.  
"Aren't you hot in that?"  Oh crap, what if she found out?  I felt a drop of sweat roll down my forehead.  
"I'm cold," I lied.  I was afraid she'd say something, or catch on to the fact that I was lying, but instead, she dragged her finger across her plate, and licked the salt off her finger (yes, she put salt on her croissants, she puts salt on everything).  
PIDGE'S POINT OF VIEW  
I didn't believe him.  
WELL, THERE YA GO.  I ADDED A FILLER CHAPTER.  YOUR WELCOME.


	8. Feeling Horrible

WARNING:  SELF HARM  
PIDGE'S POINT OF VIEW  
I was worried about Keith.  Like, really worried.  I couldn't easily forget what happened that day.  I had grabbed him by the arm, and he felt pain.  Now, I know I ain't THAT strong, so either he was really sensitive, or he must have hurt himself.  And in the past few weeks, he was acting very strange.  It was probably none of my business, but I'm his friend, and if there's something going on, and we aren't there for him, I swear to God I'll never forgive myself.  
"Keith?" I asked, knocking on the door.  Lance answered.  His hair was dripping wet, so he had just taken a shower, OR, he had stuffed his face into the toilet(?)  
"Hmm?"  
"Where's Keith?"  
"He's probably in the bathroom.  If not, check the gym.  Or the roof.  He usually goes there when he wants to be alone.  Why?"  
"Oh, I just wanted to ask him a quick question."  
"Can't you text him?"  
"Um, it would be better to ask him in person."  I turned away.  The first place I wanted to check was the roof.  I was running through the halls, but then I accidentally bumped into Allura Katsuki, who happened to be Shiro's girlfriend.  
"Sorry!" I shouted as I kept running.  I heard her say something, but I couldn't tell what and I didn't really care to go back.  My top priority was Keith.  
I finally reached the door to the roof.  I stopped so I could catch my breath.  The door stood ajar, and I could only see a fraction of what was in front of me.  I opened the door so I could see everything, and I spotted him.  He was sitting with his back against the ledge, his face buried in his hands.  I saw what his sleeves had been covering, too.  I sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.  He slowly moved his hands away from his face.  It was easy to tell he had been crying.  
"I... I l-love him..." he whispered.  
"Lance?"  
"Y-yeah..."  He was trying to hold back his tears.  I put my arm around him.  
"Um... it's... it's okay to cry, y'know..." I mumbled.  I closed my eyes.  Then I heard a soft sob.  
KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW  
FLASHBACK  
FOUR WEEKS AGO  
I froze when Lance hugged me.  But I relaxed and slowly hugged him back.  At the time I couldn't really tell what I felt.  But I knew it wasn't normal.  I told him about how much I hated being compared to Shiro.  How much I hated being around him.  And then, he slowly pushed me away and put his hands on my cheeks.  I looked into his eyes.  
Holy crap...  
I felt my cheeks grow hot, but I realized it wasn't his hands.  I was blushing.  Then I realized what I felt.  
"I..."  He paused, and a soft red shade spread across his cheeks.  "I think you're cool just the way you are," he mumbled.  And then he wrapped his arms back around me.  I felt horrible and stupid, because I actually thought he was going to kiss me.  And even worse, I wanted him to do it.  
NOW  
I kept walking until I got to the rooftop.  Then I walked over to the ledge.  I sat down with my back against the three and a half foot barrier and took off my jacket.  I looked at the scars I had made a few months ago.  
Just one more time, I promised myself as I took the razor blade from my pocket.  With shaking hands, I dragged it across one of the old scars, re-opening it once again.  I repeated the same process with the other scars, too.  By then, almost all of them were new scars again.    
I took one look, expecting to feel at least a little better, but I only felt worse.  In anger, I hurled the blade over the ledge.  The sun started to set, making the atmosphere even more depressing.  I tensed up when I felt a tear roll down, but then I slowly relaxed and let them fall.  I buried my face in my hands, because I was afraid someone in the courtyard would hear me, and come up here and tell someone.  The last thing I wanted was for people to know about me.    
But someone must have heard me, because I felt a hand on my shoulder.  I slowly moved my hands from my face, and saw Pidge.    
"I... I l-love him..." I whispered.  I was worried she would laugh at me.  But she didn't.   
"Lance?" she asked.  
"Y-yeah..."  I closed my eyes.  I tried to hold back more tears, but then she put her arm around me.  
"Um... it's... it's okay to cry, y'know..."  And I felt a little better knowing that Pidge accepted me for who I am.  
IT'S ONLY THE FOURTH CHAPTER AND LANCE AND KEITH ALREADY HAVE FEELINGS FOR EACH OTHER.  TO BE FAIR, I MADE UP FOR THAT BY INCLUDING MASSIVE TIME SKIPS AND ONLY HAVING THE POV OF THREE CHARACTERS.  WHAT A WELL WRITTEN FAN FICTION.  (THAT WAS SARCASM, MY NATIVE LANGUAGE).  ALSO I PROMISE THAT MOMENT BETWEEN KEITH AND PIDGE WAS PLATONIC.  PLEASE DO NOT POST COMMENTS SAYING YOU THINK THIS SHOULD BE A KIDGE FANFIC, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS.  ALSO FOR SOME REASON IT WANTED TO CORRECT TOP TO TØP.  THIS TABLET I'M USING IS CLIQUE TRASH LMAOOOOO  
wow lol that authors note was longer than the chapter xD


	9. Pain And Denial

TW - BULLYING AND MENTIONS OF SELF HARM  
I AM NOT TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY EMOTIONAL PAIN OR FEELS YOU MAY EXPERIENCE FROM THIS CHAPTER.  
KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW  
I walked down the empty hall, humming a quiet tune to myself.  Well, it wasn't exactly empty, there were a few tough looking ninth graders, so I quickly hurried past, hoping they'd ignore me.  But that wish didn't come true.  
"Hey, you!"  The tall one who called himself Rolo shouted.  I kept on walking.  "Hey!"  I stopped in my footsteps.  My heart was beating at an uncontrollable rate, but not in a good way.  Him and his friend's footsteps got louder as he got closer to me.  
"Please... please leave me alone," I mumbled.  I looked down at the ground standing as still as possible, wishing he, Jim, and Sebastian would leave me alone.  
"W-w-what's t-that?" Sebastian mocked.  "We can't understand you.  Speak up!"  
"I said, leave me alone!" I said, trying to stay calm.  
"Yeah, whatever ya say, Mr. Hot Topic," Jim chuckled.  I didn't try to run away, because it was no use.  There was no point trying, because even an idiot would know that these guys are fast.  Plus, if I tried to resist, whatever they were going to do to me was going to be ten times worse than if I let them do whatever they were doing.  I closed my eyes and prayed to God hoping this was just a dream, but then Jim and Sebastian pinned me to the wall, and Rolo followed and walked right in front of me.  Unfortunately when I was pinned, my sleeves had fell down a bit, exposing my scars.  Rolo's eyes darted to my wrists, and his eyes widened.  
"Now, if you're suicidal, then why the hell do you care what I do?  Obviously, you shouldn't, so maybe I should help you out!"  I felt a small tear roll down my cheek.  
"N-no!  Please..."  I was interrupted by a painful punch to the gut.  I wasn't sure what I had done to deserve this.  I closed my eyes as he kept hitting me.  
This is it, I thought.  My life is over.  I kept thinking about how my day could get worse, until I heard a very familiar voice.  
"Oye, pendejos!"  Rolo turned to look, and a fist met his face just as fast as he hit the ground.  Jim and Sebastian started to run.  I felt so weak that I started to slowly slide down the wall until I, too, hit the ground.  I was thankful that whoever saved me did that, but I was also afraid that whoever knocked out Rolo saw the scars.  I closed my eyes once again, because I was exhausted.  I felt like vomiting.  The would-be Chuck Norris mumbled something, and then picked me up bridal style and carried me all the way to my dorm.  I lost consciousness as my head hit the soft pillows of my bed.  
I woke up at 8:30pm feeling pain almost everywhere, physically and emotionally.  Physically from what Rolo and his friends did, and emotionally because I thought there was something wrong with me.  I felt a tear roll down my cheek as I slowly opened my eyes to the dimly lit room.  My vision was slightly blurred, so I couldn't really tell if anyone was in there with me or not.  It hurt to hold back the tears, so after a while, I let it all out.   
I closed my eyes, thinking if I wished it enough, it would all just be a horrible nightmare, but once again, I couldn't wake up.  This is my reality.  I can't escape it.  
I felt a soft feeling on my cheek which made me blush a little.  The feeling lingered there for a second or two, then it was gone.  But I still felt warm and fuzzy inside.  I slowly opened my eyes again and saw Lance.  
"I'm sorry..." he mumbled.  Somehow I knew he wasn't talking about the kiss.  
"It's... it's not... it's not your fault, Lance..." I whispered.  
"Yeah... but I should have been there for you.  I-if I'd gotten there any later h-he could've k-killed you..."  He started to cry.  I sat up and wrapped my arms around him.  It hurt a lot, but I did it anyway.  
"Please... just stop," I whispered.  "Stop thinking about that..."  He hugged me back, and we sat there in the silence for a while before I fell asleep.

LANCE'S POINT OF VIEW  
He fell asleep after a while.  I felt a little nervous, because I didn't know what to do.  I slowly leaned back against the pillows, being careful not to wake him.  His head was rested on my chest, and both arms were wrapped loosely around me.  God, he looked so peaceful.  And... adorable.  Wait, what?  
Dammit, Lance, stop.  You can't feel that way about your best friend.  
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop feeling that way.  I mean, his eyes were a cold, yet soft shade of grayish blue, his freckles were like a galaxy of stars (and when he blushed they really stood out), and speaking of blushing, he was really cute when he did it.    
There were numerous other things I could think of, but then I snapped back to reality.  I realized that for the past three minutes, I had been running my fingers through his soft black hair.  I stopped, because the last thing I wanted was for him to wake up and think I was weird.  But, he woke up.  Well, he was only half awake.  
"Hm... don't... don't stop..." he mumbled sleepily.  I started petting his hair again and smiled.  
"Okay," I whispered.  I continued until we both fell asleep.


	10. Silence

TW:  SELF HARM

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW  
I woke up in tears with Lance running his fingers through my hair.    
"L-lance... I'm s-sorry..." I mumbled.  
"Shh..." he whispered.  I buried my face closer into his chest as he wrapped one of his arms around me.  "You have nothing to be sorry about."  I just wanted to stay here with him forever.  But I couldn't, because in two days we'd have to go back to school.  And I'm pretty sure he would wanna spend time with Hunk and Pidge.  And I would either have to go with him and risk being seen by Rolo and his clones, or I'd have to stay here, alone with my thoughts.  What if Rolo knew where my dorm was?  What if him or his clones broke down the door and there was nowhere I could go?  
"You're... you're shaking, Keith."  His voice was soft and quiet, but also laced with worry.    
"I-I'm s-sorry!" I sobbed.  I felt my cheeks go warm as he hugged me tight with both arms.  I let out a soft, shaky sigh and hugged him back.  I was still in pain from yesterday, so it hurt to move, but that didn't stop me.    
Almost an hour had passed by.  The sun was barely up, and it was almost time to go to the cafeteria for breakfast.  
"Hey, um, is there anything you want me to get?" he asked as I rolled off of him and sat up.  
"I... I'm not hungry."  
"Oh.  Well, I'll get you a biscuit in case your mind changes."  
"Thanks," I mumbled.  I watched as he left the room.  I took off my jacket and got out of bed.  I went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror.  Ugly was all I could see.  My pale skin, my stupid freckles, the scars on my arms.  I hated myself so much.  
I sat on the bathroom floor and dragged the blade across the old scars.  I couldn't even keep my own promise.  I watched as the blood dripped down onto the cold floor.  My hand was shaking so much that the blade fell out of my hand.  It landed with a dull, quiet thud.  I closed my eyes as a small tear rolled down my cheek.  I heard the door to the dorm open, regular footsteps, a small gasp, then rustling (imagine someone snooping around), then fast footsteps.  
No.  No.  No.  He saw me.  He saw my scars.  Now he's looking for his phone so he can tell everyone what a freak I am.  That's just what I need.  
My heart rate sped up.  I felt terrible.  I was scared of what could happen next.  I kept my eyes closed and tried not to think about it.  I winced as I felt something brush against my arm.  I opened my eyes.  Lance was sitting next to me with a few small bandage rolls. and a roll of regular tape.  
"Just... just stay still while I do this, okay?" he asked quietly.  I nodded as another tear rolled down.  I tried not to flinch as he carefully wrapped the bandage around my arm.  He did the same with the other one.  I felt horrible, more emotionally than physically, though.  A feeling of pain was born when he put an arm around me.  
"Hey, um... this might hurt a lot, so... just..."  
"I c-can walk j-just fine, Lance."  I wiped away a tear as I slowly stood up.  I felt like my legs could fail me at any moment.  They did, and I almost hit the floor, but the next thing I knew, he was carrying me.  My arms hurt so much I couldn't hide the blush on my face.  I relaxed as the air under me was replaced with the soft mattress of my bed.  There was an awkward silence between us.  None of this probably would have happened if I hadn't met him.  If I hadn't transferred here.  He probably hates me.  I know I do.


	11. Soft

TW - MENTIONS SELF HARM  
LANCE'S POINT OF VIEW  
I sat down next to Keith after I put him on his bed.  It broke my heart just looking at him.  The fact that he felt so horrible that he started to hurt himself again.  I snuck one quick glance at him.  His face showed little emotion, but he also showed misery and fear.  And he was shaking a lot, too.  I wrapped my arms around him.  
"I'm so sorry."  He didn't say anything.  He just rested his head on my shoulder without hugging me back.  He didn't really cry, either.  But I could tell he wanted to.  
"I just... I don't wanna talk right now," he whispered softly.  
"Okay."  I hugged him a little tighter.  "You... you know it's okay to cry, right?"  He sighed.  
"It's just... embarrassing," he said, his voice shaking.  "Y-y'know, crying.  I'd just look stupid..."  
"Well... crying's not stupid."  He pulled away.  
"How would you know?  It's not like you've cried or anything."  His voice was soft and sincere, not rude like how most people would say.  But what he said wasn't true at all.  I cried in fourth grade when my dog died.  I cried in fifth grade when I found out I was pan because I thought I was broken.  I cried the summer of sixth grade when I had to move schools.  I cried last night because of what could have happened if I hadn't walked down that hall at that time.  I wanted to cry right now.  
"You'd be surprised," I said instead.  I took his hands in mine and looked at them.  "I'm sorry about everything."  I then looked at the bandages wrapped around his wrists.  It made me feel horrible knowing I wasn't there for him.    
Then I looked up into his eyes.  They were a cold, bluish gray.  I could have gotten lost in them.    
And his freckles.  They dusted across his cheeks and nose like the stars in the sky, and that was one of the reasons he was so cute, along with the way his cheeks would turn pink when he was nervous or embarrassed.   
In fact, it was happening right at that moment.  I looked back down at our hands and closed my eyes.  
"I need you to promise me something."  I took a deep breath.  "If you're gonna hurt yourself, I'd rather you hurt me instead."  After a few seconds, he started to cry a little.  
"I couldn't do that to you!" he sobbed.  
"Then promise me you'll stop."  
"But I can't..."  
"Please... just... try, okay?"  I looked back up at him, waiting for an answer.  But he didn't answer.  He just cried even more.  I took off my jacket and put it on him.  Then, I pulled him into a hug.  I didn't care if my shirt was soaked from his tears.    
I just wished he'd talk to me.    
I started to run my fingers through his hair, and he snuggled a little closer.  I continued even after he fell asleep.  It wasn't my fault his hair was so soft.  It wasn't my fault he was so adorable, either.  I kissed him on the forehead, and continued to admire his cute face.  He wasn't awake, so there was no chance he'd be weirded out.    
I decided after a few minutes to stop, though, just in case he did wake up.  I turned with my back to him, and I felt him wrap his arms around me.    
"Please don't leave..." he mumbled quietly.  
Crap, he's awake.  
"Don't worry.  I won't."  After a while, he pulled away and sat up.  I did the same.    
"Can I hold your hand?" he asked nervously.  I nodded my head and took his hand.  
"Something wrong?"  
"No... I just... um..."  He covered his face with his hand and started mumbling something in Korean.  I laughed a little, because he was too cute to handle!  
"It's fine, you don't have to answer!"

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW  
I didn't know if he was laughing at me in a mean way or if he was laughing for some other reason.  I was so embarrassed that I even said anything.  If I had just kept my mouth shut, he wouldn't be laughing and I wouldn't feel so stupid.  But, then again, if he hated me he wouldn't be holding my hand.    
"O-okay..." I mumbled.  I closed my eyes for a few seconds, then I opened them again.  Nope.  Lance holding my hand was not a dream.  
It was real.

HAHA, PEASANTS, THIS IS NOT THE END!!!  I'M GONNA WRITE, LIKE, A NUMBER OF CHAPTERS.  IDK WHAT NUMBER BUT IT'S A NUMBER.  A NUMBER THAT LOOKS LIKE A NUMBER.  A LEGIT NUMBER.  I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT NUMBER.  
ALSO I MADE LANCE PAN INSTEAD OF BI BECAUSE TO BE HONEST, I THINK (CANONLY) HE'D FLIRT WITH A TOASTER IF HE WAS ALONE IN THIS UNIVERSE WITH JUST A TOASTER.  
QUESTION:  WHAT OTHER FANFICS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ME WRITE???  COMMENT!


	12. It's Okay

A LITTLE MORE ANGST ;-;  
LANCE'S POINT OF VIEW  
A month passed.  Keith and I held hands a lot.  Even in public.  I always kinda figured it was his way of telling me he liked me without saying it.  And I was happy with going at whatever pace made him comfortable.  Of course, sometimes, to make him blush a little, I'd lace my fingers in between his.  Sometimes he'd giggle, and I wanted to crawl in a hole and die, because come on, he was way too cute.  I wanted to kiss him too, but I wasn't sure if he was ready for that.  I was fine with it, though.  I liked that he was happy again.  I was relieved he stopped hurting himself.  But I still wasn't sure what drove him to do it.  
"Wanna go to Starbucks later today?" I asked him during study hall.  
"Yeah!"  
"Cool!  So, like, do you wanna go after school?"  
"Sure.  Uh... not to interrupt you, if you were gonna say anything else, but... we haven't fist bumped in a long time."  He giggled when I bumped my fist against his.  This time we both did the fake explosion.  I couldn't help but to smile.  
After study hall, school was over for the day.  So, we went to Starbucks.  And, well... probably no surprise, but we held hands.  I was still getting used to this feeling, even though it's been going on for a month now.    
"So what are you getting?" I asked.  
"Um... you're gonna laugh at me for this..." he mumbled quietly.  
"Seriously.  What are you getting?  I won't laugh."  He muttered something under his breath.  "What?"  
"I said I'm getting a pumpkin spice latte!" he blurted.  
"Oh, come on, you shouldn't be ashamed of liking the best thing they've got here!  Besides, I'm getting one too.  So, we can be basic together!"  He looked down at the floor to hide his blush.  "Do you wanna drink them here or go back to our room?" I asked after paying for our lattes.  
"Here."  I sat down at the bar which faced the window and he sat next to me.  He drank his way faster than mine.  I don't think he waited for his to cool down.  But he enjoyed it, so... yeah.  I wasn't judging how he drank his coffee.  I just preferred mine cooled down, that's all.  
After we finished our lattes, we went to the bookstore.  We didn't buy anything, but we did look around.  Soon we headed back to the school.  
"Keith?" Shiro said when we walked by.  Keith turned around.  
"Yeah?"  
"Can I talk to you?"  
"Yeah."  He let go of my hand and followed his brother into that one 'haunted' bathroom.  I waited at the library entrance, which was like, fifty feet away.

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW  
"What is it?"  Shiro took a deep breath.  
"I'm gay."  Even though he was looking down at the floor, I could still see the fear in his eyes.  "Just thought to let you know so you didn't have to hear it from somebody else."  His voice was shaky, too.  My brother, usually a confident guy, was on the verge of tears.    
"Well, I am, too," I mumbled.  There was a long silence.  "Did you tell anyone else?"  
"Uh... Allura kind of found out on her own.  I'm pretty sure Pidge knows, too.  Then there's Matt.  We may or may not be dating...  So...  Have you told anyone?"  
"Only Pidge.  And I didn't even mean to, but she promised to never tell, so... yeah."  
"Who's the crush?"  
"Lance..." I said quietly.  "But he doesn't know..."  
"He was holding your hand.  I'm pretty sure he knows."  
"I've seen plenty of people hold hands in a platonic way!"  
"Yeah, if you count identical twins."  That was true.  Holy crap.  Holy crap, that was super true.  
"Fine, but... suppose he DID hate me afterwards?"  
"Doubt it.  But if he does, there's always other guys."  I sighed.  
"I'll think about it."  I started to walk away, but then I felt his hand on my shoulder.  
"Bro hug?  Please?"  I turned around and hugged him.  It had been a while since we last hugged.  The last time we hugged, he wasn't in a position where he felt he needed to hide his biggest secret ever.  He wasn't so angry.  He wasn't scared.  And now he was happy.

SHIRO'S POINT OF VIEW  
I pulled away from the hug and flashed a quick smile at Keith.  
"You can do this, bro."    
"Thanks."  He started to walk away again.  
"Wait.  I'm really sorry.  For all the times I was a dick."  
"It's fine.  It was in the past, okay?"  I nodded my head and watched as he left.  Then I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of my nose.  
I just hope nothing bad will happen to him.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP.  I THINK THIS FIC IS TERRIBLE, BUT I'M GONNA CONTINUE IT.  DON'T WORRY, OKAY?  OKAY.


	13. Don't Think

ANGST WARNING:  WILL GIVE YOU A BAD CASE OF THE FEELS  
LANCE'S POINT OF VIEW  
I waited outside the library entrance which was, like, a few meters away from the bathroom.  I wasn't sure how far.  It wasn't too far, though, because I could still see the bathroom.  After a few minutes of waiting, I saw Keith and Shiro come out of the bathroom.  Because the halls were a little crowded, I had to yell his name to get his attention.  He turned towards me and carefully made his way through the crowd.  When he got to me he stopped in front of me.  
"Keith, I have something I wanna talk to you about, but... can we go somewhere that's not full of people?"  
"I... yeah.  I know a place."  He took my hand and lead me to that one secluded area in the library nobody liked, because the books were 'too depressing'.  I sat down on the couch and he sat down right next to me.  We were no longer holding hands, though.  "So... what did you wanna talk about?" he whispered.  
"Um... well, I don't wanna rush anything.  That's not what I mean when I... okay, sorry... it's kind of hard to put into words.  But... um... well, what I'm trying to say is..."  I sighed.  "I mean, only if you're okay with it... I'd... um... I wanna kiss you, but... only if it's okay with you."  He didn't answer.  The silence lasted a minute or two.    
Was he paying attention?  Or is he thinking about what I said?  What is happening?  The silence kind of made me uncomfortable, but I didn't wanna rush him into saying something he didn't actually mean to say.  
"Do you ask all your friends that question?" he asked after the long silence.  
"What do you mean?"  
"I'm just saying... that was kind of... random..."  
"But... don't people who are together ask that question?"  His cheeks turned bright red.  
"W-what?" he whispered nervously.  Then I realized what he meant.  
Oh.  
He didn't think we were together.  He thought we were just friends.  I was so embarrassed I felt like I'd never be able to look at him again because he probably hated me.  
"What did you mean...?" he asked softly.  I sighed again.  I had to explain it to him, I guess.  
"Well... I thought that we were... together... as in, together.  Like, dating."  
"Oh... what made you think that?"  
"Well... I kind of assumed that you always wanting to hold my hand was you telling me you liked me... without actually saying you liked me... and you kind of seemed to get nervous whenever it happened... but I guess that had nothing to do with liking me..."  It felt so embarrassing to say it all out loud.  I felt like an idiot.  I just wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out for the rest of my life.  I hated that dark feeling deep inside of me that never thought before speaking.  
"Um... Lance?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I... I'd probably be terrible at it because... I haven't kissed anyone before..."  I didn't answer until after a minute or two.  
"Neither have I...  Uh... do you... um... do you wanna be terrible together?" I asked nervously.  He was blushing so hard I couldn't see his freckles, and then he buried his face in the sleeves of his jacket.  God, why did he have to be so freaking cute?  Just... why?  "Well... we don't have to right now.  I mean, if you don't ever wanna kiss, that's fine with me... because I don't mind.  Kisses or not, I still like you."  I meant it, too.    
"I think for now... I don't wanna... but... y-you can kiss me... if you want... but... not an actual kiss... i-if I'm being clear enough.  I'm just... I'm not ready for kissing yet.  I mean, I might wanna... one day... but not right now."  
"Okay."  

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW  
A terrible feeling grew inside me.  One of fear and sadness.  A feeling that used to be a common occurrence to me.  I was afraid.  I was afraid to kiss him because I didn't want to like it.  I didn't want to accidentally slip up to my mom, because I was afraid she'd hate me afterwards.  I was afraid she would send me to another school and I'd never see Lance again.  I was afraid that if I left, he'd find someone else and forget about me.  
I could never forget him.  His smile.  He could make anyone happy.  I bet nobody could forget him.  But he could easily forget me.  There was nothing good about me.  The only thing people cared about was that my brother was famous, and they always expected me to be just like him.  They always wanted me to be more social.  They wanted more happiness out of me, but maybe if nobody held such high expectations, I would be happier.  
I was afraid if I told Lance, he wouldn't understand.  
I tried not to think about it when he pulled me into a hug.  Thinking too much would probably lead to me doing something stupid...  
I closed my eyes and hugged him back.  
Just don't think about it.


	14. Hate

A SONG THAT GOES WELL WITH THIS CHAPTER:  PERFECT BY ED SHEERAN  
TW - HARDCORE ANGST, MENTIONS OF SELF HARM  
KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW  
For three weeks I pretended nothing was wrong.  I pretended everything was okay.  But it wasn't.  The dark thoughts I tried to block wouldn't go away.  I even resorted to an old habit that I told myself I'd break.  I just wanted to cry, but if I did that then Lance would ask me what's wrong, and I'd have to tell him everything, and he'd think I was an idiot.  I mean, that's all I am, anyways.  An idiot.  A no good, dumb idiot who always makes everything worse.    
"Keith?  Can I have a hug?"  It was 9:30 pm.  His arms were outstretched, as if he was begging for hugs.  Like he'd die without a hug.  
"Yeah..." I mumbled.  I got off my bed and sat down next to him.  Then he pulled me into a tight hug.  
"I know you better than myself.  I know that there's something you're not telling me."  I tried playing dumb.  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  He sighed.  
"Have... h-have you been... hurting yourself?"  His voice was shaking.    
"You... you do know I stopped doing that a while ago, right?" I lied.  He pulled away from the hug.    
"Why am I finding that hard to believe?"  
"I... I'm not sure."  I grabbed his hand, hoping he would just drop the subject already.  But that was a mistake.  I tried to pull my hand away when he started to roll up my sleeve.  But it was no use.  He saw the scars.  He saw them.  I finally pulled away when he loosened his grip.    
I couldn't bring myself to look at him.  I was scared.  I was scared he'd hate me.  I was scared he'd never talk to me again.  I made a promise, and I broke it.  That was one of the terrible things about me.  I could never keep a promise to save my life.  I mean, I could keep a secret.  Well, I could keep any secrets but my own.    
I felt so stupid.  And I felt even stupider when I started crying.  I was startled when he pulled me into another hug.  But then slowly, I relaxed and hugged him back.  I hugged him as tight as I could, because I was afraid of losing him.  I didn't ever wanna let go of him.  I just wanted to hug him forever.    
I hated the real world.  I hated it.  I hated being called names.  I hated being beat up.  I hated being made fun of.  Glared at.  Being held to high expectations.  I just wanted to be myself.  But I couldn't.  It was like life was a cruel joke.  A cruel joke that went on and on until death.    
After a while, I was so worn out from all the crying that I fell asleep.

LANCE'S POINT OF VIEW  
I was scared.  Not of him, but for him.  Seeing the fresh wounds Keith had given himself rendered me speechless.  He seemed so happy.  But then something brought him back to the bad place he was in.  Something must have happened to make him hurt himself again.  Something must have made him feel horrible.  
All I could do was hug him.  He was shaking, and he was crying.  He hugged me back as if he were scared someone would try to rip him away from me, which made me hug him tighter, too.  I cried a little, too, but not as much as him.  I wanted so badly for him to talk to me.  To tell me all the things he was going through.  It would make him feel so much better.  But instead, he was scared.  There was something he didn't wanna tell me.  
After a while, he fell asleep.  It was a peaceful, yet depressing silence.  I hated it.  I hated that he was once again going through a time that was tough enough for him to feel like he needed to start cutting again.  I wished he'd trust me.  I wished he'd talk to me.    
I still couldn't fall asleep.  I carefully reached over to get my phone from the end table, making sure not to wake up Keith.  It was 12:04 am.  God, time passed quickly.  And the more time passed, the worse I felt.  I started to run my fingers through his hair, and I closed my eyes in a last attempt to fall asleep.  And finally, I did.


	15. Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just read it dumbass

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW

I was awoken somewhere around five in the morning by crying. Then I realized it wasn't me. It was Lance. I opened my eyes and noticed he wasn't facing me, and somehow I wasn't still hugging him. He flinched when I wrapped my arms around his waist, but he didn't say anything. He just cried even more. I moved closer to him and snuggled into his back. 

"D-dammit... I didn't mean to w-wake you up!" he sobbed.

"I... I was already awake," I lied. A few minutes of silence passed.

"What are you doing up this early?" he asked.

"I'll tell you if you tell me." He sighed.

"Just for once, Keith, you could just talk to me. Please." I tensed up. What was I supposed to tell him? I mean, obviously I was supposed to tell the truth. But something was preventing me. I couldn't speak. I felt like such an idiot. I pulled away from him and sat up. He sat up, too. It took me a few minutes to say the (wrong choice of) words.

"I think... I-I think we need... we need to break up." After the words came out I couldn't take it back. I couldn't speak. I shouldn't have said it. That's when I broke down. I didn't even think when I got up and bolted out of the room. I went to the same place I always found myself. The roof. I didn't even try to hold it in after that. The fact that it was dark outside, the fact that the sun wasn't rising yet, made it worse, because I was scared of the dark. I was scared that someone would attack me and no one else would be around to help. So I tried to distract myself. I looked out at the small town that surrounded the dormitory building. The stars that littered the light-purple sky. I loved looking at the stars. They were a comforting sight, and they kind of reminded me of my dad, who I never met, but I saw pictures, and Mom told me he left us so he could achieve his dream of becoming a space explorer. She was always hoping he'd come back, and she never lost that hope. Shiro was always pissed at her for that, because he didn't think it would happen, and he wanted to forget Dad so he'd miss him less. But I didn't mind. I hoped he'd come back, too. I bet he was fighting evil aliens. I never told anyone that, though, because then people would make fun of me for having 'childish fantasies'.

I kept staring into the endless galaxy, but then a sudden voice almost made me scream.

"Keith!" Lance shouted from the doorway, which was like, twenty feet away. I looked down and refused to make eye contact. I didn't wanna look him in the eyes after what I said to him, and I didn't want him to see me cry any more than he already had.

"Go away," I said carefully, trying not to burst into tears. "Please." But he only walked closer. I felt like I was frozen, so I couldn't run away.

"Keith..."

"Please!" I yelled.

 

LANCE'S POINT OF VIEW

His cheeks were red and tear streaked, and he was shivering. I couldn't give up on him. I knew he didn't mean it. I knew something was up.

"Hey... come here..." Then we were hugging. His face was buried in my shoulder as he let out all his tears. "Whatever it is... whatever's happening... I'll be here. You're not alone." Then he pulled away. 

"But y-you'd break up w-with me..." he whispered. I grabbed his hands and looked into his eyes.

"No I won't. I promise." Then I kissed his forehead. "Please talk to me." He let out a long, shuddering sigh.

"My mom... she g-got a job promotion. W-we have... we have to move to England. We're l-leaving this summer. A-and I... I w-won't see you for four years..." he trailed off. I pulled him into another hug.

"We can text. We can Skype. We can make this work," I whispered softly. "I promise." We hugged for a while, until the stars disappeared. "We should be heading back. If a teacher catches us outside our dorm, we'll get in trouble." He nodded his head in agreement, and we walked back to our dorm. That's when he finally started to tell me everything. His past. His fears. His hopes and dreams. And when he was finally done talking, I kissed his forehead and pulled him into a hug. 

We could make this work.


	16. Keith's Backstory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> also sorry its been a while since i updated i forgot i had ao3

TW - HOMOPHOBIC SLUR, MENTIONS OF BULLYING, SELF HARM, AND DEPRESSION

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW

I had no memories of my dad. Only the pictures Mom showed me and the stories she'd tell. He had good intentions when he left, she'd say. He'd be back soon. Shiro would get pissed at her because he had a feeling that Dad was never gonna return, and he didn't want me to keep up 'false hopes' only to get hurt in the end. Mom didn't listen to him, though. As each month passed I gradually became more and more unsure that he'd be back. But I never lost hope.

When I was younger, when I was in fifth grade, Mom got a new job three states away. So we had to move. I didn't wanna move schools. I had just made a new friend, my only friend. Her name was Judy. She was awesome, and fun to be around. But I only knew her for five weeks. I wanted to know her better, but like I said...

And speaking of moving, I hated my new school. I hated it. For the first month of sixth grade, nobody really seemed to notice or care that I was there. And then after that, things started to get worse. I was called names.

Faggot.

Mr. Hot Topic.

Stupid goth.

Queer.

Bitch.

And those were the nicer ones. That is, if you could even call them nice.

I did my best not to show them that they were getting to me. The torture went on until two months into seventh grade, where it got worse. Way worse.

I remembered getting shoved into lockers when the teachers weren't looking. I remembered getting punched and kicked. I'd lie to Mom and Shiro about where the bruises were coming from. I told them I was clumsy. Growing pains, I'd say. And soon, they stopped asking.

Six months into the year, I started to cut myself. I thought it was the only way to cope with all the pain I was enduring. Pain to drown out the pain. I was kind of surprised that nobody found it suspicious that I started wearing long sleeves all the time. 

I didn't eat much, either. I slept a lot. I didn't feel like living. And when Mom got yet ANOTHER job, I wasn't happy. I thought it would be worse. In a way, it kind of was. I met Lance. He cared about me. He wanted to be my friend. He didn't judge me or make fun of me. But then I went back down that dark road. I was in love, and I hated it. And then he confessed his love to me, a few days after Shiro told me about Mom's job promotion. And now I'm in the present.


	17. Video Call

TW - SELF HARM

THREE YEARS LATER

NEAR THE END OF JUNIOR YEAR (ELEVENTH GRADE)

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW

It had been almost two months since we last Skyped. I felt like my heart was going to shatter at any moment. That I was going to get a break-up text at any moment. I was certain he had moved on and found someone better than me. I kept thinking negatively as I stared at the screen. Each day, I waited for him to call. For a text. But nothing happened.

Face it, he forgot about you. He doesn't love you. 

That was all I could think.

But he's been keeping in touch with you for three years, hasn't he?

That made me feel worse, though. Using the strength I had, I got down from the bottom bunk of my bed. I didn't even bother to close my laptop. I made my way to the bathroom and sat against the door after I closed it. My hands trembled as I picked up the small blade and pressed it against my wrist. I dragged it across one of the faded scars from years ago. Then I opened six more. I was ready to do it one more time. I deserved it for being so unlovable, right?

But I never made it to the eighth time.

I heard the sound of a Skype call coming from my computer. My heart was beating rapidly.

He's calling. He's finally calling me.

I was scared. I was scared that I couldn't answer in time if I bandaged my arm. But I did it anyways. I tried to be quick about it. I made it just in time, seconds before it would stop ringing.

"Hey, Keith." I opened my mouth to say something, but instead, I started crying.

"L-Lance... I thought y-you forgot about me!"

"Are you kidding? You're so adorable. You're so kind. You're amazing. I could never forget you." I could feel my cheeks turning red at his words.

"Then w-why didn't you call me?"

"I got grounded. I wanted to call you. And I feel like shit for not being able to! But I promise you, I didn't forget."

"I... I'm glad. B-because I miss you. I m-miss being able to hug you... I miss being able to h-hold your hand. I..." I trailed off. I was scared to tell him I loved him. Even though we were together for a while. I wanted to say it so badly but I couldn't. "I'm sorry..." I whispered.

"It's okay. I... I know. And... I... I love you too," he said softly with a warm smile, making me blush even more. It was the first time he said it. Then his eyes widened. "I have an idea!"

"What is it?"

"Put your hands on either side of your computer." So I did. And he did the same. "Now it looks like we're holding hands!" I giggled a little. Then I pulled the blanket over me and the laptop.

"Heh. Now we're sharing a blanket." He pulled his blanket over himself, too. The only thing that didn't make it seem like we were in the same room was the fact that my blanket was red and his was blue, but I didn't mind.

 

LANCE'S POINT OF VIEW

I felt bad for making Keith cry. I felt bad that I got grounded. I couldn't believe I was stupid enough to think that I could hack Veronica's Twitter account and get away with it. I mean, all I was gonna do on there was tweet what it was like to be a bird. And somehow Mom found out, and my ability to make Keith smile was taken away for two whole months. But then, she ungrounded me. It was a miracle.

"So, uh... how have you been doing?" he asked.

"I've been doing good. Besides the fact that Mom caught me hacking my sister Veronica's Twitter account. But now I'm talking to you. That's all that matters to me right now." He scratched at his wrist. He didn't seem to realize he was doing it. But his sleeve moved down a little, exposing what seemed to be bandages. I felt my smile fade.

He cut himself. Because of me. It's my fault.

"Keith... Please tell me you didn't..." At first he didn't know what I was talking about, but then he looked away.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered. His voice was shaky, and tears started to fall. 

"It's my fault, Keith. You shouldn't be apologizing."

"Y-you're not the one w-who did this to m-me... I-it's my fault..."

"I'm the one who didn't talk to you for two fucking months, Keith!" I didn't mean to yell. Before I could apologize, he hung up. I saw the pained expression on his face right before he hung up. I was scared to death that he was dead now. I kept hitting the call button but he wouldn't answer. I broke down and started crying. I hit the call button one more time, even though I was sure he wouldn't answer. But to my relief, he did.

"I'm so sorry, Keith, I didn't mean to yell!" I sobbed. 

"I-I know... I-it's okay..."

"It's not..."

"Please, Lance. Stop... stop blaming yourself." He sighed. "Please." I hesitated.

"O-okay..." I whispered. "I just... I l-love you so much... and... I hate it when y-you hurt yourself. B-because to me... you're perfect. No matter how many mistakes you've made... I think y-you're perfect. And I don't wanna lose you, you adorable little shortstack." He didn't say anything for a few seconds, but then he flashed a smol, soft smile.

"Thanks..." he mumbled. We kept talking for an hour or two. By time we were done, it was 5:00 pm here, which meant it was 1:00 am there, and he was exhausted. And he was so adorable when he was tired. It just made me think of what he'd be like in person. He was already cute when we were in the same dorm together. And one day, we'd be able to see each other again. 

I could barely wait to see him again.


	18. Package For Lance McClain

THREE WEEKS AFTER GRADUATION

LANCE'S POINT OF VIEW

I woke up at 6:00 am to my phone ringing. I knew exactly who it was, because Keith's ringtone was Nyan Cat, because that was his favorite internet meme. One time we were Skyping, and Pidge was in England on vacation. While we were talking about Nyan Cat, she divulged a shocking piece of information: Hatsune Miku did the original Nyan Cat song. Keith was so shocked that he didn't speak for the rest of the day.

But that wasn't the point.

"Hey, Keith!" I said excitedly, trying not to sound tired. I didn't want him to apologize and hang up.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" Fuck.

"Yeah, but that's fine. What's up?"

"Uh... I sent a package through the mail, and... I think it's arriving today. I checked, and I think it's supposed to arrive around this time..."

"This early?"

"Yeah. That's what the site said..." He sounded a little nervous.

"Wait, you're sure?" I said as I put on my pants.

"Yeah. I looked at it a million times. I'm positive."

"Okay, I'll check." I heard a knock from downstairs. "Hey, you were right!" My shoes were already on, and I was slipping on a jacket.

"Oh, good!" I quickly rushed downstairs and opened the door. My heart started beating faster, and I was blushing. A lot.

"Holy shit, Keith..." I whispered. He giggled a little as his cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. He hung up and slipped his phone into his pocket. I pulled him into the tightest hug ever. He hugged me back, and neither of us let go for a while.

"I-I love you, ya know..." he mumbled when I pulled away. His cheeks were so red, and God , he was adorable. I smiled.

"I... I love you too." I took his hand and led him into the living room, where we both sat on the couch. "I... I wanna hug you. Like, I know we just hugged, but can we hug... again?" I asked.

"You... you don't... have to ask if... if you can hug me..." he mumbled. He looked and sounded nervous, like something was wrong.

"Is everything okay?"

"Sorry... it's just... I found a hotel, and I'm gonna spend half the day sleeping, because I'm so used to European time, and I don't want you to think I'm ignoring you!" I saw a small tear roll down his cheek. And then I got an idea.

"You know... you could always stay here!"

"Um... would your mom be okay with that?"

"Yeah! She's wanted to meet you for a while, now, and... you're here! So, yeah!"

"O-okay... well... I'll try and stay awake for the whole day. You don't happen to have coffee, do you?" The corners of my mouth turned down slightly.

"Unfortunately, Mom doesn't buy coffee, because she knows that my brothers know how to make coffee, and she doesn't want them getting into it when she's not home, so she thought that it would be a good idea to just keep it out of the house altogether. But, before you acknowledge the fact that there's no coffee in the house, there is a REALLY good coffee place in this city."

THIS CITY IS MAH CITY AND I LOVE IT ok sorry about Patrick stump. back to the story

"Oh. Well, uh... if it's not too much to ask... c-could we go there?"

"Yeah! To be honest, I haven't been there in a little over two months, so this would be a good opportunity!"

"Okay... Um, do you... do you wanna ride on my motorcycle?"

dO yOu WaNnA rIdE dO yOu WaNnA rIdE ok i gotta stop this musical shit, too

"Sure!"

"Okay. Have you ridden one before?"

"No, but then again, there's a million things I haven't done!"

HNGHHHHHH WHY AM I TRASH XDDDDDDDD

"Okay. Well... uh, I guess it's a good thing I brought two helmets!" I nodded in agreement as I followed him out the front door.

"Wait," I said before he put on his helmet. "Maybe I should drive it, because I know where the café is."

"U-um... but you haven't been on a motorcycle before..."

"Do arcade and virtual reality racing games count?"

"Uh... I guess? Um, I'll tell you how to get it working, though, if that's okay."

YES, I AM AWARE THAT RIDING A MOTORCYCLE IS NOTHING LIKE THE ARCADE GAMES. BUT I'M AN IDIOT OKAY? GIVE ME A BREAK SMH

"Yeah." I sat on the motorcycle and put on the helmet, and Keith sat behind me and wrapped his arms around me. "Scared?"

"A little."

"Well, just... hold on, okay?"

"Yeah."

There were only a few people at Coffee Inn. And one of the patrons happened to be none other than Katie Holt. She decided she wanted to be a Sci-Fi author and started going under the pseudonym Pidge Gunderson.

"Hey there, L-- OH MY GOD!!!" Her eyes widened. "KEITH!!! LANCE!!! IN THE SAME ROOM!!!" She ran over and hugged both of us. You wouldn't know it by looking at her, but she gave bone crushing hugs. She was pretty strong.

"Heeey! I need to breathe!" But then it got worse. Her boyfriend joined in. Who was her boyfriend, you may be wondering? None other than--


	19. Dat Boi (the fina chapter)

KEITH'S POINT OF VIEW

"Hunk!" Lance shrieked. I felt like I was being crushed, but I was fine with it, because I was being crushed by the people I loved. Lance looked uncomfortable, though.

"YOU'RE CRUSHING ME!!!"

"Oh, heck, sorry!" Hunk quickly pulled away. Hunk never really liked to curse much. He was a cinnamon roll. That was what made him an awesome friend. "You and Keith are in the same room together, though! It's hard not to be excited!!!" I smiled. I was really excited to see Lance, Hunk, and Pidge, too.

LAST CHAPTER (JUST SO YOU KNOW)

"How've you all been?"

"Well..." Pidge started. She took a deep breath. Then she looked at me and winked. I was confused. "I'm coming out of my cage..." Then she looked at me again, and I gasped.

"AND I'VE BEEN DOING JUST FINE!" We all said in unison. That song was an inside joke between us all. We started laughing. 

SORRY FOR STRAIGHBAITING YOU

***

"Hey, Lance?" I asked before we got on the motorcycle.

"Yeah?" He led me over to the bench, and we sat down.

"I... Well, we haven't been out on a date yet... and... I was wondering i-if..." I couldn't finish my sentence. I was nervous as fuck.

"Yeah. I'd love that." He smiled, which nearly made me melt. And then he kissed me on the tip of my nose. I (involuntarily) squeaked and buried my face into his shoulder. "You're cute, y'know." He was embarrassing me, and nobody else was even around. I pulled back from the hug and looked into his eyes. Then I kissed him hard. I really wasn't sure what came over me. Maybe I just wanted to feel the satisfaction of getting sweet revenge. I didn't wanna let go of him. And I could tell he felt the same when he slowly wrapped his arms around my waist. After a minute or two, I pulled away.

"I love you..." I whispered. He chuckled softly.

"I love you too." We hugged for about another minute, then he pulled away. "Let's go back to my house. I'm sure my mom would love to meet you." I nodded in agreement.

***

"Mom? I'm home!" I could hear footsteps getting closer.

"Lance? Oh, Lance! Where were you?"

"I was at Coffee Inn with Keith."

"Oh Lance, always drinking co-- wait, Keith?" Then she looked at me. Her eyes went wide. "Oh, hello!" She smiled and hugged me tight. "You must be the boyfriend I've heard so much about!" I hugged her back.

"Yeah..." I was nervous. I was afraid I would say or do something to make her hate me. Then she pulled away. 

"You know, you're just so adorable!" My face turned red.

"Mom, look what you're doing to the poor guy!" I looked at Lance as if to say "thank you". He winked at me when his mom hugged him. "You're welcome," he mouthed. I smiled. Then she pulled away from him.

OKAY LETS BE HONEST, I HATE THIS FIC. I'M RE-WRITING IT, THOUGH. THE CHAPTER ENDS SOON. LET'S JUST SKIP TO IT.

***

LANCE'S POINT OF VIEW

It was 9:00 pm, and Keith couldn't stop yawning. He looked like he could pass out at any minute.

"You tired?" I asked softly.

"No..." he mumbled as he rested his head on my shoulder. Then he yawned again.

"You sure?"

"It's... it's too early..."

"Keith, 9:00 isn't to early to sleep." I picked him up bridal style and carried him upstairs to my room and carefully laid him onto the bed. Then I laid down next to him. He looked like he was trying not to fall asleep. 

"I swear, Lance... I'm not... tired..." 

"Hey, it's okay to be tired. Everyone gets tired. The best solution is just to sleep, y'know?" I got up and turned off the bright lamp. I was about to turn off the other one, the dim one with the soft glow, but...

"Please don't turn it off..." he whispered. So I didn't. I walked back over to him and pulled the blanket over both of us. I felt horrible for forgetting that he was scared of the dark.

"I-I'm sorry..." I said. I felt a tear start to roll down, but I didn't wipe it away, because I didn't want to draw attention to the fact that I was about to cry. But he noticed.

"Lance..." He placed his hand on my cheek. "What's wrong?"

"I forgot... I forgot you were scared... I'm sorry..." It was hard to hold back my tears. But then he kissed me, and I relaxed. It was different than the first kiss. The first was awkward and, at first, a little uncomfortable until I realized what he was doing. This one was soft. Calming. I slowly pulled him closer. Then our legs were intertwined. I would have sold my soul for that moment to last forever. After a minute, he became a little too relaxed. I pulled back and looked at him. He was asleep. I kissed him on the cheek, and a few minutes later, I fell asleep, too.

 

THERE YOU GO. THAT'S THE LAST CHAPTER. I PROMISE THE RE-WRITE WILL BE BETTER. ALSO, IF YOU WANT, WRITE WHAT KIND OF FICS YOU WANT ME TO WRITE NEXT :3


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